Black is Blue

Bruce Hildenbrand — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 06:36:35 GMT

I don't think anybody will ever consider me a walking fashion statement on
either side of the spectrum(maybe that's the silver lining!). In fact, my
fashion sense is somewhere between sweat pants and blue jeans, but hey, I
don't care. However, for those of you who religiously watch shows like "What
Not to Wear," "Project Runway" and "Tim Gunn's Guide to Style", here is a blog
just for you.

The third annual Amgen Tour of California kicks off in about a week and based
on my recent visits to some of the pro team camps, we just might have an
honest-to-god fashion emergency. I remember a few years back when powder blue
was the 'in' color so much so that a number of pro teams changed their jerseys
to include the azur shade. Well, it looks like black is the new blue. No less
than three pro teams, BMC, Rock Racing and High Road Sports are wearing
predominately black racing kit.

Call me a colorcist, but I am having a hard time distinguishing between the
three different squads. Add to the fact that the riders will be going upwards
of 30 mph as they rocket down the beautiful California coastline and any subtle
differences such as sponsors logos might just become a blur.

Rumour has it that High Road Sports may be rolling out a new team kit with
a predominately white theme. But, wait, it looks like the BMC boys are riding
white jerseys as well. Oh man, what is a cycling fan to do? Obviously, there
are subtleties between the jersey designs, but I am not a subtle guy.

OK. Maybe I am making a mountain out of a molehill, but I am always on the
verge of getting arrested by the Fashion Police so maybe this is my pitiful
attempt at obtaining a get-out-of-jail-free card. Regardless of what any of
the jerseys look like for the 17 teams participating in the AToC, I am certain
that the riders filling said jerseys are some of the best racers in the world. And,
c'mon that's what it is all about anyway, isn't it?

Bruce

The Way Things Work

Bruce E Hildenbrand — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 05:59:27 GMT

Congratulations to the Slipstream/Chipotle team for its second place finish in
the first stage of the Tour of Quatar. Jonathan Vaughter's boys were a scant
two seconds back of Tom Boonen's Quick Step squad in the opening stage, a
6km Team Time Trial(TTT). You might all be wondering, what's the big deal about
second place in an early season race in a country most of us couldn't even
point out on a globe!

Well, unlike the NFL which owns all the events it sanctions, in cycling,
individual race organizers and corporations such as ASO own and promote the
races while the NFL-equivalent, the UCI, just exists as the sanctioning body.
OK, the UCI, with its Pro Tour, tried to become more than just the sanctioning
body, but we have all seen how that has worked out. It is best to leave race
promotion to the professionals.

So, if you are a team, and you want to get into a race, you have to catch the
eye of the race promoter. Winning big races is one way to catch the eye, but
if you can't get into the big races unless you prove yourself, then you have
a Catch-22. Enter races such as the Tour of Quatar. These early season,
predominately low-key, events are the perfect platform for up and coming teams
to show race organizers that they can play with the big boys.

And, it doesn't hurt that the Tour of Quatar is owned by ASO, the same company
which organizes the Tour de France, Paris-Roubaix and a whole host of the top
professional races. So, if you are a team like Slipstream/Chipotle presented
by H30(say that fast three times) then the pressure is on in Quatar and they
delivered.

Also participating in Quatar is the BMC Professional Cycling Team which, while
not hoping for a slot in the Tour in 2008, is hoping for a wild-card invite to
some of the one day races, such as Paris-Roubaix, owned by ASO. The boys in
black finished 12th just 12 seconds behind the winners and 10 clicks behind
their American counterparts.

Hopefully, ASO and other race promoters are taking notice and we will see more
American teams and US riders in the biggest and best races on the professional
cycling calendar. Yeah, Paolo Bettini and Tom Boonen are exceptional racers,
but I want to be cheering for a homie when the season gets into full swing.

Bruce

Active Expert: Bruce Hildenbrand

Black is Blue

The Way Things Work